Drunken Woman Fled Two Accident Scenes in Same Day, Police Say

A Parsippany woman was drunk Monday when she crashed into a fence, left the scene and later that day attempted to flee an accident with another vehicle, Hopatcong Police said.

A woman from Parsippany's Lake Hiawatha section is facing traffic and driving while intoxicated charges after her alleged involvement in two accidents during Monday's evening rush and reportedly leaving the scene of the first crash, according to Hopatcong Borough Police.

Katherine Tevis, 47, of Lake Hiawatha, has been charged with careless driving, leaving the scene and failing to report for the first crash. She was also charged with DWI, reckless driving and failure to keep right for the second, a minor collision with another vehicle.  

Lt. Thomas Kmetz said officers responded to Dupont Avenue for a report of a hit-and-run accident. When officers arrived, Tevis was present after a witness convinced her to return to the scene, according to Kmetz.

"A witness told the officers that the driver who was Katherine Tevis had left the scene, but another witness to the crash followed her and told her to return to the scene, which she did," Kmetz explained.  

The police statement said Officer Nick Maresca found damage to the front bumper of Tevis' vehicle that could not have resulted from hitting the car. 

Looking at the day's reports, they discovered Officer Edward Janosko had taken a report earlier in the day of a hit-and-run to a fence on Dupont Avenue, Kmetz said.  

Kmetz said Maresca took the parts left at the scene of the earlier accident and found that they matched Tevis' vehicle. He also determined that the woman had been drinking alcohol, according to Kmetz.

Police said Tevis was arrested, given an Alcotest, charged and released to a family member pending a court date.